Cybercrime is on the rise in today's technological world. Internet criminals use the sensitive information of Internet users. They scour the web for illegal goods and services to buy and sell. They also have access to top secret government data. In this article we look at the types of cybercrime and how to protect yourself from them.
Computer crime
Any criminal activity involving a computer, other digital device or computer network is cybercrime. Find out how this is explained as you read on. Social engineering, software flaws and infrastructure attacks are all emerging cyber security threats.
However, it also covers illegal activities such as hacktivist demonstrations, abuse and bribery, money laundering, etc. Individuals and companies are also subject to cybercrime. Read full explanation here.
List of different types of cybercrime
Distributed DoS attacks
DDoS attacks (distributed denial of service attacks) are cybercrime attacks that cybercriminals use to disable a system or network. DDoS attacks are often launched using linked IoT (Internet of Things) computers.
A DDoS attack overwhelms a device by flooding them with requests for links via standard communication protocols.
Phishing
This type of cybercrime occurs when spam or other types of communication are sent en masse, the aim being to trick recipients into doing something that compromises their security or that of the company.
Contaminated attachment files or references to malicious web structures could be exploited in phishing campaigns. Alternatively, they may request that the recipient respond with confidential information.
Identity theft
This type of cybercrime occurs when an attacker gains access to a user's details. They can use it to steal money or access sensitive information to commit tax or health insurance fraud.
They can also use your identity and information to open a phone/internet account, plan illegal activity or claim government benefits on your behalf.
They could break into users' passwords, steal personal information from social networks or send phishing emails.